You're the Will, I'm the Blade
by Kallor
Summary: After joining the League, Riven realizes it isn't the place that could end her exile, but with the help of Irelia, she may have a chance to find a place to belong to. Can she become Ionian enough to prove herself? Slightly AU Rivelia pairing, rated T.
1. Prologue

The High Summoner's fingers left small incisions in the table's surface.

"For the last time, honored guest." he said, pushing himself up from the marred table. "The Institute of War does not control enough resources to have an impact on the policies of Noxus and Demacia. We have scarcely enough power to grant neutrality to the city states who seek our services. Bandle City, Bilgewater and Piltover could remain untouched by conflicts from our tenacious diplomacy while war rages between Noxus and Demacia. I cannot try and influence your nations in any way without an all-out war between the city states and the Institute, out of, or during the games. The Institute exists because it is impartial. That impartiality includes not letting any champion get an or any unfair advantages."

His guest coughed lightly, with annoyance clearly upon his face. "But surely, no spectator would noti-" he started.

"The champions would notice!" snarled High Summoner Malkan, turning to face the window. Unlike other times, the lush forest's sight spreading to the horizon didn't calm him. The Demacian kept repeating the same demand for longer than two hours. His composure was cracking. As he contemplated his options about getting rid of the visitor, magical energies coursed through his clenched fists at the obvious choice. "As long as I am in control of the Institute, each champion and Summoner will fight under the rules set by the Tribunal! Cho'gath will never have the chance to feast before the matches, your blasted Vayne's bolts will not be enhanced further, just as Draven doesn't get to bring scores of fans with himself to bounce his blades on them! Am I clear enough?"

"Perfectly." Malkan was sure he could hear the ambassador's teeth grinding, but finally he got his message through his willful ignorance. "I will take my leave, then."

The High Summoner watched as the diplomat marched to the door of his office, his blue cape adorned by Demacia's standard drifting behind him. A grateful sigh left his lips as the man left. Every few months, a representative tried to gain leverage in the Institute by making their champions stronger. So far, Malkan was successful in refusing their demands. He turned back to the forest, lost in his thoughts.

Not that the Institute could decide any major conflict of interests these days. When established, mages from every nation banded together under the banner of the Institute, but hardly enough to stop the war on the continent. The Institute offered the chance to resolve conflicts through the Rift, but they couldn't enforce its usage. It would need at least half a century to get enough influence. The Summoners had to be content of stopping the grand scale usage of destruction magic that threatened to shatter Runeterra and resolving conflicts which the nations chose to decide by a battle in the Rift.

The heart of the problem laid at the champion's attitude towards the Institute of War. None of them were obligated to accept a summon to do battle. They could refuse any fight for any reason; friends they didn't want to fight, causes they didn't believe in or their whims decided whether a match could be held or not. They roamed around the world, deciding what to do according to their personalities. They were more of mercenaries than champions. It was almost impossible for Summoners to plan and train beforehand.

Still with every individual accepted as champion, the Institute grew in power and influence. When joining the League, the champions took an oath to never take up arms against the Summoners in an offensive war. More than a hundred of them joined so far from around the world, with new applicants trying to take the Trials every few months. Some of them were even found worthy.

The latest rage was Riven. The Exile had emerged from the wilderness a few days ago and without a word, she effortlessly took the Trials. When she entered the Institute's halls, she was mistaken for a beggar, but Noxian Summoners recognized her sword in seconds, and soon the Institute was filled with wild speculations. How did she survive for so long? Why didn't she return to Noxus? How come she's here?

Weather and tear took their toll on the champion. Riven's uniform and armor hung in tatters, speaking of years spent away from civilization, but she refused to accept anything from her peers. Her hand clutched the sword she was never seen without harder whenever someone tried to approach her, a silent warning to all. In two days, she completely isolated herself from the crowd.

Her runesword that once instilled fear in the hearts of Ionians and Demacians alike, rivaling the ancient Rakkorian relic-weapons in deadliness, was now shattered. Her hand never left the remains of the sword for more than seconds, her fingers kept caressing the runes inscribed in its blade.

The changes in her appearance were paled by her eyes and composure. Most of Runeterra was peaceful, only the borders of Noxus and Demacia bristled with war. But Riven knew no peace. Her eyes darted at every sudden movement, her taut posture clearly displaying her inner demons. And most of all, the conviction burning in her eyes and leading her steps, what made her the archetype of the Noxian military evaporated during her exile.

But even the bravest fans never had the chance to get to her. When her teleporter crystal – a relic copied from Ezreal's amulet found in Shurima – finally attuned to the Institute's own Nexus, she left just as quietly as she arrived.

Malkan shook his head, and turned to the office's Rift-vision system. The freshly dubbed Broken Blade's debut match was about to start. Riven materialized at the shop, taking her first step towards the top lane.


	2. 01 The Broken Blade's debut

A/N: Hi folks, welcome to my fanfic. Hope you'll enjoy the time you spend with my work! Thank you for the reviews/follows, constructive criticism is more than welcome!

Disclaimer: League of Legends is definitely not owned by me. If it was, Riven would already have a relationship with Irelia in-game.

Disclaimer 2: Special thanks to my beta-reader, Swords Divine Light!

Disclaimer 3: Avatar is the courtesy of Thegadgetfish.

Disclaimer 4: There're no more disclaimers. 

"It will be as easy as cheating." the almost traditional pre-battle gloating session was started by none other than Twisted Fate, cards flipping between fingers.

"Feeling invincible again, Fate?" smiled Sivir at the rogue. "How do you feel about a little contest?"

"Any time you want, Precious. More gold at fifteen minutes wins. I keep count."

"No deal." Sivir's flat tone earned soft chuckles from the team. Sona just sadly shook her head, mentally preparing herself for the two suicidal champions she'll have to save.

Riven looked around uncomfortably, feeling lost in the foreign place. Sure, she had the chance to walk around the Rift during her stay at the Institute, but nothing was familiar. The shopkeeper was busy frantically throwing swords and daggers on the counter in every size, trying to figure out what would be optimal for her. The flashy outfits of her teammates spoke volumes about them. They couldn't understand her, not that they wanted to. The League was just a game for them. Their camaraderie was an alien concept to her. She ignored them, contempt boiling in her. It was a lifetime ago she could put her trust in someone, and it had been betrayed like it meant nothing. This game was no different, no matter how grand its purpose. The Summoners weren't interested in her thoughts, even though they shared them. Only her brawl mattered. She was still alone just as before. This had no purpose she could believe in. A sense of loneliness washed over her. This wasn't anything she wanted. She couldn't bear to stay and take part in the bragging competition of her team. She wanted to move on. Just as in every waking moment in the past two years. A sense of emptiness urged her forward.

She tapped the only weapon she could afford from the counter and walked toward the lane she was assigned to. She could feel herself growing stronger with the power of the chosen item.

"**Welcome to Summoner's Rift!"** the announcer's voice boomed over the map.

'Welcome, Riven' at the same time, a voice sounded in Riven's mind, making her stop in her tracks.

"Who are you?"

'I'm your Summoner for this match. I will be in charge of your battle after you meet your opponent.'

"I fight my own battles." whispered Riven menacingly.

'Not this one. More is at stake than your honor, Broken Blade. You accepted the terms when you joined the League. Observe.'

"What the-" she cried as she involuntarily jumped forward, slashing with her sword in a graceful arc. Her muscles responded to the Summoner's will, completely ignoring her wants. But something was amiss. She knew her reach was longer. The sword would've missed vital spots against a real opponent. "You have no idea what you are doing!"

"And you have no idea what are you up against, Broken Blade." the voice said easily. "Help me, and I'll help you win. Is it acceptable?"

"I… accept, Summoner." Riven said. With those words uttered, she could feel control coming back to her again. It felt like two people shared the same body. She could hardly believe how easily the magic had overpowered her.

**"Minions have spawned!"** the voice thundered from above again.

'Thank you.' said the Summoner. 'I'll tell you what you can expect from your opponent when they show themselves.'

Riven slowly jogged along the mindless minions, growing angry. Had she not taken the Trial? Had she not given her oath to fight for the League? Was it not enough for this Summoner?

'That's not it, Riven. You don't know you're up against.' Riven's vision grew blurred. As she tried to shake the sudden dizziness from her head _Flicker_

_A green silken-clad ninja darted across the battlefield, twin sickles tearing into her enemies. Shots and arrows flew at her, trying to hit her through a smoke screen. Champions cried out as they staggered blindly around, but her impassive gaze was always set on her next target, the pile of bodies slowly growing around her._

_Flicker_

_The hill-sized monster assaulted with a mighty roar, leaving his enemies too dazed to fight back. He crashed into the tower, leaving only ruins of the mighty structure. Through the dust cloud, champions came to challenge the abomination. Magical energies capable of leveling buildings struck its chitinous hide. The Void-born creature, unfazed, slashed at its tormentors, sending them flying._

_Flicker_

"What on Runeterra was that?" Riven staggered onto her feet as the wave of nausea receded.

'Those were some of the champions you can be up against. You are here to fight; I am here to tell you what and how can you fight.'

A shadow appeared on the ground.

Her body reacted faster than her mind. She jumped backwards, her sword deflecting metal. She arrived in a defensive crouch, warily looking at what looked like a bipedal lion wielding a knife hilt-deep stuck in the ground. With a snarl, the creature tore it free. He turned away from her, killing the first of the minions mindlessly hacking at each other.

"All right, Summoner. How should I fight this?" asked the champion, tension building up in her muscles. She was painfully aware of the outcome of her last conflict when she went into a fight unprepared.

'He is called Rengar. This is what I know of him.' the Summoner's voice tore her away from her thoughts. Riven's stomach turned upside down again as foreign memories flooded into her mind. With a shudder, she realized what was going on. Rengar now seemed familiar, like someone he fought a hundred times before. The Summoner was showing her matches in which Rengar took part!

'You have to leave the past behind when you are here, Riven. You have to help me.'

The match had already started. While the Summoner fed memories into her brain, he also took control of her movements. Almost mindlessly, she hacked away at the minions, her sword style awkward, the Summoner's practice not enough to take full use of her skills.

"I… am here." she whispered, feeling control coming back, mind slowly focusing at the task at hand. "What shall I do?"

"For the time being, focus on the minions. Rengar won't attack you yet."

"As you wish."

For minutes, the champions avoided conflict, the Summoners clearly too wary to risk combat. Riven slowly started enjoying herself. As time passed, her Summoner let the fighting more and more to her. Soon she was alone, setting the pace, the presence in her mind but the smallest tingle. Then Rengar made a mistake. He threw his bola at a minion. As the puppet fell to the ground, choking, Riven dashed through the space it left in the frontline, Ki boosting her speed and strength. _Broken Wings_ propelled her further ahead, her sword leaving a bloody wound across Rengar's torso. Without giving him respite, fluid movement carried her even closer to the beast, the wicked dagger slashing above her head. She thrust her sword into Rengar's stomach. Under normal conditions, that would have been lethal. Now it only drained the lion's glowing aura to a sickly flickering. A kick planted in his ribs sent Rengar flying into a nearby brush. With a laugh, she cleaned off blood drops on her face, and turned to take the next creep.

'NO!' the Summoner's voice thundered in her head 'Run!'

She spun around, only to see Rengar's claws filling her vision. A roar staggered her. The knife brushed aside her guard and Rengar buried the blade in her chest faster than it seemed possible. Then again. And a third time. She dashed backwards, away from the raging lion.

'It doesn't hurt.' she thought while blue light enveloped her bloody figure.

'Of course not. We don't want to maim champions. If you are damaged enough, you die, but you're always at the peak of your capabilities. Except Olaf. He's nuts.'

But Riven's thoughts were elsewhere. After picking another sword's symbol from the shopkeeper, she sprinted back to her lane, thinking about the skirmish with the lion. She, laughing during a fight?

"What are you doing to me?" She asked softly from the Summoner.

'Just inhibiting some pesky memories which have no place during fights.' the voice said nonchalantly. Riven's steps came to a halt, her body trembling. The guilt returned that she hadn't felt since she started fighting Rengar.

"You have no right to do that." She bit her lips, shoulders shaking uncontrollably as the weight returned. Gods, it felt divine to forget about the past.

'Yes, I have, my dear. If it allows you to fight without holding back, I certainly _must_ do it. Look, you are at the brink of collapse.'

"I am a warrior, not a toy to be played with. Get me out of here. _Now._"

'Oh, stop crying and get moving.' snapped the voice, once more taking control. Riven's body sped to the creeps, but she refused to cooperate. Her guilt never stopped hurting, but it was a throbbing ache she could almost ignore. The pain returned as a fresh wound. The Summoner didn't care about her now. She had to endure the onslaught of her memories.

As she fought with her darkness inside, the Summoner slowly grew accustomed to her body. Inwardly he sneered as he felt Riven fighting with the memories. Here he was, giving her respite, and the ungrateful bitch complained.

'Fine, I can do this match without you. I hope I never get paired up with you again.' he thought, shutting Riven out from his mind.

'Let's see what I can work with.' he murmured as he felt Riven growing stronger. In theory, every champion could use a signature ability, but he wasn't sure what he could unlock to make the swordswoman stronger. He started flipping through Riven's memories of battles long fought.

'Maybe this could help.' Riven's fingers traced along the edge of the blade, focusing her energy into the broken sword. The faintest outline of the reformed sword started to glow.

The Broken Blade's mind was abruptly yanked back to the present as she felt her body focusing energy.

'Stop!' she yelled at the Summoner, desperately straining against his control. 'I can't-'

The brightly shining blade imploded. The intricate runes on the remains of the sword greedily sucked in energy from every source across the Rift. Towers and items brimming with magic powered down and in the Institute summoners looked at each other in confusion as their mental link with their respective champion disappeared.


	3. 02 Malfunction

_The distress flare filled the night with a bright green light. Ionian soldiers swarmed in the marsh, encircling the handful of remaining Noxian soldiers. This fight seemed to be the last for Fury Company in the Ionian Invasion. Riven threw the flare gun at a screaming face, sword brandished. Only a minute had passed since the ambush began, and her troops were decimated. She needed a way to save them. Maybe- her eyes darted around the battlefield. She ignored the soldiers assaulting through the mud and the dead, most of them wearing the green and purple uniform of Noxus- stained with blood. There!_

_Riven found the man who seemed to be the leader at the edge of his forces. As the light dimmed, she charged forward._

_"Hold the line!" she yelled back at her soldiers._

_"For Noxus!" they cried in unison with her, fighting back the first Ionians. As long as she could kill the commander, the company just had to hold out until confusion set in. The massive runesword in her hand cleaved through the first man who challenged her._

_"It's Riven!" the alarm spread in the army. The ambushers started to gather around her. But she knew she could win. The strong _will _persevere. Her sword started to glow with the energy charged in it._

_Then the Zaunite bombs began to fall._

* * *

Riven's consciousness returned to chaotic voices. She snapped awake, her senses trying to find the danger about her while she jumped to her feet. She instantly regretted the decision as a wave of sickness washed over her. All the champions from the match sat at a fountain. In the base, minions by the hundreds ran amok, smashing everything they could reach. The cacophony of battle filled the air, the brightly shining nexus spawning new minions every second.

"What happened?" she asked, trying to understand her environment. Some of the creatures tried to overwhelm them, but the fountain's defense system burned through most of them. The few who had time to reach them had to stop and hack at a green barrier held up by the champions with magical aptitude: Ahri, Twisted Fate, Thresh and Elise.

"She's awake." Ahri looked back at her before turning to the barrier surrounding them. "You should tell us. We're as clueless as you. Maybe more."

Riven felt a tug on her hand. Still confused, she looked down at the kneeling Sona holding her with one hand and the etwahl with the other. She tugged again, harder.

"She'd been healing you since Rengar brought you back." Sivir told her.

"How long?"

"About fifteen minutes. Lie down so she can finish."

The girl let herself be laid down. Instantly, Sona's music surrounded her. The weakness receded.

Rengar paced around the barrier, apparently restless in the closed space.

"Something happened, Noxian. It reeked of magic. What did you do with that blade?"

"Ah-" Riven tried to sit up, but Sivir's hand pushed her back on the stone. "Nothing. The Summoner took control of me."

"But what caused the explosion?" insisted Caitlyn.

"It was quite potent." Ahri said, ears twitching in annoyance. "My souls almost escaped!"

"Haha- you should use cages, Ahri. They are far more effective than that measly orb." a quiet laugh escaped Thresh's throat, but the discussion quieted down as they waited for Riven's answer.

"I can't say. All I can promise that it won't happen again."

That wasn't the answer they expected. Sivir's hand grabbed cloth, and yanked Riven up, face to face.

"Listen, girl. I kill only for gold or if my hide is at stake. Nothing else is worth the trouble. The Summoners should arrive in a few minutes, so we're safe. But I _might_ just make an exception for you."

"Try it." the Noxian was unfazed by the threat. She didn't survive alone this long by being harmless, and she had enough of people trying to force their way.

"You b-" Sivir's hand gripped a dagger at her belt, while Riven reached for her sword.

A rifle's barrel came between them.

"Here we have two champions who will stop fighting right now until we're out of the Rift. If you have energy to burn, get out and kill those creeps."

The two girls looked at each other with seething anger, but Caitlyn's hard voice stopped tensions from reaching the boiling point along with the subtle calming tone appearing in Sona's music.

"You're the law, Caitlyn." Sivir let go of Riven, backing off to the barrier's edge. "For now."

With a sigh, the sheriff turned to the girl on the ground.

"I don't want any trouble from you, either."

"You won't get any." promised Riven.

"Splendid. Keep yourself away from Sivir. She hates secrets since one almost killed her in Shurima."

A portal came to life in front of their barrier. Robed Summoners came through, speeding toward the malfunctioning Nexus.

"Now that would come in handy." whistled Ahri as rows of creeps turned to sparks at hand signs from the Summoners. The champions finally let go of the barrier as the Institute took control of the situation.

"Our apologies, champions." High Summoner Malkan, arriving by the portal, gave a bow to the players gathered around him. "The Nexus' malfunction made long-range teleportation impossible. We had to open several gates to get the technical staff here. We can leave any time you desire."

"Not a moment too soon." said Sivir, being the first to make use of the exit.

Riven climbed to her feet, prepared for the dizziness. When it didn't follow, she looked surprised at Sona, the only champion still in the Rift.

"Thank you." she nodded to the musician, who gave her a thumbs-up before hovering through the door.

"After you, Riven." Malkan gestured toward the portal, an offer the girl accepted instantly.

She arrived at what looked like a lounge. It apparently had no doors or windows, but a light permeating from nowhere specific filled the place. The champions already made themselves comfortable in the couches filling most of the floor.

"If you would sit down, we could begin the debriefing."

"Personally, I would love to hear something about what happened during the match." Sivir was still stuck on the topic.

"I've already told you that's not your business, bandit. It was out of my control, but it won't happen again."

"I was asking the boss, deserter."

Riven's blood boiled at the accusation, and a dangerous glint appeared in her eyes.

Caitlyn just scratched her neck at the sight. They were out of the Rift and of Piltover, therefore out of her control.

"I've never deserted Noxus."

"That's plausible coming from someone going AWOL until now after her soldiers got massacred. Maybe you sold them off? I could understand that."

Malkan's hand grabbing Riven's shoulder made her stop before she started cutting Sivir into ribbons.

"I have no right to tell you the strengths of the other champions, Sivir. Fouron, Riven's Summoner, is at fault. After reviewing their conversation during the game, the Institute of War declares that Fouron's insensitivity to his champion is unbecoming of the League. The Summoner is suspended from taking part in further matches. The current match is considered to be a tie, and will be replayed with the same champion roster in the future, if you accept it."

"Substitute me." said Riven. Malkan looked at her, as if waiting for further explanation, but he got none.

"Request noted." finally he nodded, and the bracelets of the champions started to hum. They were being teleported.

"Interesting. A champion not rolling over when the Institute whistles. That's new!" Thresh laughed as he faded to darkness.

"We will meet again, Noxian, even if you don't return. You are one prey worthy of hunting." what was intended as a friendly pat on the shoulder propelled Riven a few steps forward. She looked back at the lion, confused.

'Was that supposed to be a compliment or a death threat?'

"Why did you bring my sword back, Rengar? You could have left it on the Rift or you could have taken it."

"I have no interest in trophies I didn't earn. If I take it, it will be in a fight, not by theft."

The world turned upside down as she was teleported away.

Riven appeared back at her camp as she left it. She noted that the booby traps she set up around the camp were undisturbed. The forest she was journeying through wasn't well-known, but being careless was a luxury she couldn't afford.

She started packing. As she expected, the Institute of War wasn't the place where she could settle. The restlessness urged her forward. After Sona's ministrations, she felt she could go on for days.

Then she stopped. She looked at the thin cords strung between low branches. One of them was torn.

Riven knew a few minutes ago it was unharmed. Her senses were probing to find anything or anyone around her, but the biggest animal she could sense was a squirrel.

'Must have been me.'

* * *

**A/N: Longer chapters will follow from now on with longer pauses between them. I guess I'm finished with setting the universe and the relations, so finally Riven will interact with others~**


	4. 03 The forests of Ionia

**A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews, follows/favorites. Honestly I was surprised about them, I didn't actually expect interest. There goes my lack of self-confidence.**

**Anyway, long chapter incoming!**

* * *

Her light steps took her across the forest with surprising speed. Soon she was treading through mountains and hills with the same pace. A determination she hardly ever felt urged her forward almost to the point of exhaustion.

Her destination was clear. Ionia. Where else could she go?

The self-serving League already showed its interest in her. Idly, she played with the bracelet she socketed the teleport crystal in. One day, she might give them another chance to prove themselves to be worthy of her blade, but for now she was finished with them. The money she was paid wasn't worth the trouble. She had more important matters than playing mercenary. She could've done that two years ago. Her blade had never been for sale.

Noxus would embrace her again, only to leave her for death at the first convenient time. She was known in Noxus as the role model for every man and woman aspiring for a military career. She knew she would be cleared from any repercussion to keep the morale high. A festival would be held to celebrate her resurgence. But to have an actual deserter in the active military? The thought left a grim smile on her face. Returning would mean certain – and according to the Noxians, natural - death.

The land of Demacia was out of the question even though the city-state would have welcomed her; talented swords and informants from the enemy were always highly sought after. The thought of the so-called "honor and justice of Demacia" abhorred her. A nation whose policy was to let the weak remain weak, and let the strong spill their blood for them. Riven's whole being revolted against the false heroism that the Demacians were oh so proud of.

The Freljord? She heard only vague stories of the unforgiving North where three sisters fought for dominance. Ashe was a naïve fool while Lissandra's intentions were always shrouded in mystery. Only Sejuani's words and actions felt honest to her. At least as honest as Noxus's…

The smaller city-states and the independent territories held no interest for her. She had been to Bilgewater and Piltover a few times when transport was needed, but all she could remember was the dullness of their citizens and a lack of purpose driving the states towards a greater purpose compared to the grandiose of Noxus and Demacia.

Ionia. Her people preached balance as the finest goal attainable by an individual. Hundreds of martial artists pledged their whole lives to find inner balance. The denizens of shrines and temples built across the land showed the Noxian invaders two years ago that in Ionia's eyes, balanced didn't mean defenseless. For a reason that baffled the strategists of Noxus, Ionia never tried to exact vengeance for the atrocities committed by their armies.

That was her destination. Ionia was the last place she wanted to be at. She could only fathom the grief she had caused the people living there. The stories she heard of herself, however, gave her a good idea about the Riven remembered by Ionia.

Fury Company was one of the most efficient "clean-up crews", as they were called. As other crews died to ambushes or direct attacks, her company grew in fame as their list of achievements grew longer. And the more determined the Ionians became to stop them, and their famed leader, the Noxian Butcher.

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She had been traveling to the sea for the better part of the week since leaving the League's dormitories. She still didn't feel herself ready to face the Ionians, but she knew she couldn't stall it for eternity. She felt the guilt freshly growing in her with every step she took.

Only hours separated her from the Ionian coast. Travelling through the Ironspike Mountains was a rough business, but she could choose only between Noxus's well patrolled roads or Zaun's territory otherwise. Compared to the other choices, the rocky and bleak path felt like paradise.

The pace she set reminded her of the grueling marching drills of the Noxian military during which even the youngest recruits were expected to keep up with veterans and soldiers for endless hours in full equipment. The dust clouds emerging from the massive columns could be seen from kilometers away. Noxus could proudly state that her legions could reach the farthest reaches of the nation in a week.

Slow like an ox. Lucky for you, Noxus can use oxen. The dreaded sentences of the drillmasters meant more armor and weaponry on the backs of those who couldn't keep up. Fainting recruits were a usual sight.

The drillmasters were as hard on women as on men. Same drills, same standards. Some of them took a special interest in her. Riven's dogged determination and her peculiar weapon of choice – the greatest bastard sword she could find before she earned the runesword – was noted and the officers gave her even heavier loads to see if she would forfeit her weapon for a lighter one. Riven took everything without a word from the first day until Ionia.

This week reminded her of that training. The sun glared down on the barren mountains with no water or shade in sight. White hair stuck wetly to her face. Panting she climbed up the next hilltop, and with a glimmer of relief, her eyes took in the view of the Guardian's Sea. The dazzling blue of the water made Riven forget about exhaustion.

She took enough money from the League match to buy a ride to Ionia. Trade flourished again since the war as the ships of independent captains filled the nations' guarded trade routes. She knew it wouldn't be hard to find a ship.

"Halfway there." she sighed happily and set forth to the village.

Riven looked back over her shoulder, an annoying habit she developed in the forest. Through the journey she couldn't shake the feeling that something was following her. An unnatural sound or movement when she tried to sleep; footprints not from any animal she recognized; claw marks that resembled metal on the bark of trees.

Long ago she learned to trust her instincts. She tried to lose her invisible companion by setting the grueling pace to the shore. Whatever followed her couldn't take the same ship as her without compromising itself and was bound to lose her when she set sail to Ionia.

* * *

She went straight to the harbor. Two ships seemed fit for the journey. None of the sailors looked reassuring, but Riven was confident that she could handle anyone.

As she tried to approach the first ship, a bearded giant stood in front of her.

"I reckon you aren't in my crew. State your business."

"I need to go to Ionia. No questions asked."

The tall man looked at the girl suspiciously. He couldn't care less about the reasons why a Noxian wanted to go to Ionia, facing certain hostility, but something else was on his mind.

"I don't take beggars." The tattered garments did nothing to hide Riven's figure, and a sly grin started to spread on the captain's face. "But I'm certain we can arrange some-"

"I have money." Riven threw a coin sack at the man. "Double amount if you leave the shore in an hour."

She stood impatiently as the man fished out a gold coin minted by the Institute. His eyes involuntarily jerked towards the girl, and nodded when she held up her hand. The bracelet with the teleport crystal and the minting identified her as an agent of the League.

"All right. Name's Bromio, Captain for you. Welcome aboard." Turning away, he bellowed. "Men, prepare to set sail! We are leaving in an hour!"

Riven sat down somewhere she thought she wouldn't be underfoot slow down the preparations, and finally drifted to sleep when she heard the anchor being pulled up.

* * *

A solitary figure stood at the shore, quietly watching the leaving ship.

"You can't escape me that easily." a grin spread through his face and he walked into the sea with a determination mirroring Riven's.

* * *

Riven jumped down from the deck of the ship before the mooring was completed. She made no friends during the short route and gold already had been exchanged. She draped her traveling cloak over her weapon before someone could recognize her. Interested, she looked around the Navorian city they arrived at.

Apparently Ionians shunned the use of stone in their cities. All the buildings Riven could see were built of wood decorated with intricate carvings. The spacey cobblestone walkways were frequently dug up for the sake of a tree. Even the tall commercial buildings were painted bright golden and brown to liven up the city.

The streets brimmed with activity as ships left from and arrived to the trade ports. Dockworkers loaded with goods clogged every foothold of space. As Riven forced her way through the commotion, she started to smile. It was so relieving to see that Ionia could still prosper. Not that it abolished her guilt in any way. With a shake of head, her thoughts turned to the future.

She hadn't had a long-term plan to speak of. Revealing herself as Riven would mean a swift trial and death. While that would certainly mean atonement for her crimes, she wanted to redeem herself in the eyes of the city-state before that execution. For now she decided to continue her journey.

Soon she was walking through the town square, eager to leave. From experience, she knew discovery was only a matter of time as people got interested in her garments and weapon, dead giveaways to her identity, but she could discard none of them.

"Citizens of Ionia!" an announcer's voice boomed over the crowd filling the streets. "Due to unauthorized magical activity in the northern bamboo forest, access has been restricted to the forest before the army finds and deals with the source!"

That was too much of a coincidence for the Noxian. Suspicion rose in Riven, but she decided it was as good a place to start as anywhere else. She set off to the general direction of the forest. No guards challenged her as she entered the wilderness.

* * *

In a few hours, a sudden downpour made the lush bamboo forest's ground become muddy. As she struggled through the terrain, opaque mist started to form.

A quiet growl sounded behind her. She twirled around, sword in hand, just in time to cut a zombie down. The undead was decaying for quite a time. The rotten corpse fell to the ground, but more followed in its wake. Riven hacked through a dozen of them before they were once again a pile of lifeless flesh in front of her feet.

"This shouldn't warrant a restriction of the forest and army intervention." she muttered while listening for any activity. A few soldiers could've dealt with these.

The greyish mist turned into a transparent yellow. Instincts told Riven to hold her breath as two years ago. As she tried to take a step, the mud sucked in her leg. Something grabbed her ankle. She looked down in horror.

"Help me…" a pleading face looked up at her where a few seconds ago the corpses lay. This one was a dying soldier, coughing up blood as the poison destroyed his lungs. The Noxian could hardly resist crying out, but she knew the effects of the poison. Her blade severed the hand clutching her feet and sprinted away from the dozens helplessly grasping at her, moaning for help.

'Not again!' tears rolled down Riven's cheeks. She couldn't help anyone. Her mind tried to tell her it's a trap and she's falling for it, but instincts took over and she ran at full speed. Finally she took a breath as she left the noxious fumes behind. A body fell at her from the branches of a tree, its face corroded by the poison.

Screaming, Riven staggered backwards. She pushed the corpse away. As her hands shot forward, manic laughter filled the bamboo forest. Ethereal chains flew at her from the bushes before she could react, coiling themselves tight around her wrists. An irresistible pull threw her off her feet and yanked her through the mud. As the Noxian tried to get back to her feet, a root smashed into her head, frustrating her efforts. The chain dragged her forward to a small clearing in the forest, where it abruptly switched directions. Disoriented, she dangled slightly above the ground, suspended on seemingly nothing that could hold the chain.

A sickly green light replaced the dim sunlight as Thresh walked into the clearing, the end of the chain swaying in his hand.

"You are good at running away, Riven."

Still dizzy, the girl looked up at the burning skeleton's face.

"How did you follow me?"

"I walked through the hills and the sea, of course. But let's not dwell on such unimportant matters. All that matters is that we're both here!"

Riven looked up at chains binding her wrists, trying to find a way to escape. She knew Thresh's shackles were unbreakable, affirmed by a hundred champions in the League.

'The bracelet!' Riven focused on the next match she was invited to, setting the teleport sequence in effect.

As soon as magic started coursing through the teleporter crystal, the warden chuckled. Magic was the glue that held him together. He was as adept at sensing magic as any Summoner. With a whip of his wrist, the sickle tore the item away before the process could be finished.

"You must have heard the tales of me. I can assure you: they are true. Not a single soul has escaped my grasp."

Riven stared at him with cold eyes.

"There's always a first time."

Thresh's lantern sprung to life. Dim light started to shine from it while it flew to the girl's head. It floated just in front of Riven's eyes.

"Look at them and despair."

From the light source, clouds of smoke smashed into the surrounding glass. She tried to tear away her gaze, but the swirling mist mesmerized Riven. To her horror, soon she could make faces out of the haze. Yelling faces of every age and sex flew around in circles, desperately trying to find a crack in the glass and escape. Summoning her willpower, she looked away, into the face of the grinning skeleton.

"Soon, you will be one of them."

"Ionia knows of you, abomination. They will find you before you can break me."

"Aaah, they always say that. Please, try to stay sane." His claws grabbed the girl's hair, cruelly yanking her head back. "It will make your soul all the more delicious when you fall."

Riven's ashen hair started smoldering as the flaming hand kept her immobile. With a downward slash the sickle left a shallow cut across her torso as Thresh tore her garments away.

With a yell, Riven twisted her body to land a kick on her captor. With a satisfying crack her shin connected with Thresh's skull. His head whipped to the side. The flames around him became brighter as he turned back to the girl, cackling.

"I knew you would be worth capturing!" Even more shackles materialized in the hand of the warden, bolting at the struggling girl.

Riven cried out as barbed chains looped around her legs. Blood trickled down as the chains pulled her limbs taut.

"And they say Sona is a good musician. You are splendid!" With howling laughter, Thresh's claws sunk into the girl's side, eliciting another piercing scream.

"The sound of a job well done. Don't worry, you won't die from blood loss. Yet. I cauterize the wounds."

Riven could see the sickle approaching her thigh before she blacked out for the first time.

* * *

Irelia sat in the Placidium's central garden. The gardeners took pride in their work: the place resembled a genuine rainforest with tall trees and bamboo obstructing the Sun and bushes concealing the rest of the city. Seemingly randomly placed stones littered the garden. A new beauty could be observed from each, be it a rare flower to see or the view through the thick vegetation. It was said that meditating on each rock was an entirely different sensation.

Irelia was in the process of systematically finding out the truth behind the saying. With unfocused eyes she took in the beauty of the glade. This was one of the few places where she could relax. A discrete cough took her out from her trance.

"Captain." A soldier from the city guard saluted her as she nodded back. "Undead activity had been detected two days ago in Navori. Several corpses from the memorial tombs were seen walking towards the bamboo forest."

Irelia frowned.

"Thank you. Send for Soraka, and fetch my horse to the city gate. I will leave in half an hour."

"Yes, Captain." the guard set off in a jog.

With fluid motion, Irelia sprang up from the sitting position. She walked to the arms piled up next to a tree where her hovering blade stood vigilant. She fastened the pieces of her armor to their place and hurried toward the gate.

Zombies having a destination were worse than the mindless butchers they usually were. Control meant someone was directing them.

Soraka was already waiting on her black horse when Irelia arrived. She held hers and a packhorse with food and supplies, prepared for a longer assignment.

"Good morning, Irelia. Where do we head?" asked the Starchild as Irelia hopped on her horse.

"Undeads were seen to the east two days ago, Soraka. I hope you can help me to put them to rest and find the source."

"Undead? Since the Invasion there were no trace of those creatures on the islands."

"That's correct. And the men revived died during it and were buried in a memorial tomb."

"We will put them back to peace. Ionia's heroes won't be disturbed by a foul necromancer."

* * *

"It is so amusing to watch the layers of sanity peel away from a mind. Yours is truly wonderful." Thresh mused, talking more to himself than to Riven.

'Just.. a few more days..' It was hard to breathe, let alone to answer. Riven struggled for air, still trying to somehow break the chains that held her. In response, the shackles around her chest became tighter. A quiet gasp escaped her.

She was covered in bruises and cuts caused by the Warden.

"It has been forever since someone gave me such joy in my work. For that, let me tell you something interesting: I am only hastening the inevitable. You would have gone mad in a few years. There is only one layer for you. Behind your sense of duty, there is nothing. Just madness."

"Stop.. Your.. Lies.." she groaned, wasting precious air as the loops grew ever smaller.

"You don't have to believe me. After all, it can be just another method to break you, can't it?" Thresh gleamed with happiness. He always enjoyed telling the truth when it helped to further her work.

'Forever strong.' Riven muttered. She wondered how long would forever last. The last day was already an eternity.

* * *

Following Soraka's divine magic, finding the undead was not an issue. What they didn't expect is that someone had already done the job for them.

Cut wounds and chemical burns covered each corpse. They met their second demise through torture, that was clear to the healer's and the soldier's trained eyes.

"This is inhuman!" Soraka muttered. Irelia just coldly looked at the decaying corpses, feeling bile rising up her throat. The smell of rot was overpowering.

A hoarse wail sounded not so far ahead before the voice faded into a burst of sobs.

Without thinking, Irelia set off to the source of the sound, weapon brandished.

An eerie light shone in front of her, getting brighter with every step. She crashed through some bushes into the clearing. She instantly recognized one of the figures present.

Thresh stood in front of a woman thrashing in his glowing chains. The lantern he held close to the chest of the girl set off the light filling the forest, shining brighter than ever in the League.

Flickers of blue light drifted from his victim's breast straight into the wall of the lantern. Thresh was so immersed in the sight that he didn't even notice Irelia and Soraka's arrival. A look of ecstasy filled the skull.

Irelia's blade, spinning as a wheel, slammed into the body of the Chain Warden. The skeleton was pushed away from his victim, the link broken. The girl sagged down, hanging limply from the shackles.

She could spare only a glimpse at the unconscious victim. The ashen-haired girl's body was completely covered with bruises, cut wounds and burn marks. A pool of blood formed under her feet.

"Care for the girl, Soraka!"

Souls swirled around Thresh as he tried to deflect Irelia's strike. His souls acted as a shield between him and the blade, barely keeping it away from the warden.

"Interfering with my work again, Irelia?"

"You will die permanently, fiend!"

"As long as there is a worthy soul, I will stalk the lands." Thresh laughed when he finally pushed back the weapon. "You will see that I can't be harmed by your weapons."

The Warden's eyes gleamed with joy as discarded chains sprung to life, following Irelia's blade as it tried to evade being bogged down and at the same time trying to defend her master.

Additional swords joined the fray as Irelia could unbuckle them from her belt. The clatter of metal filled the clearing as Thresh's sickle kept deflecting the spinning blades aimed at his skull. The ones connecting with his bones did no visible damage at all, while it took all of Irelia's agility to avoid the chains thrown at her.

Star bolts flew at the warden as Soraka could finally focus on him.

A resounding scream left Thresh's mouth as a bolt hit him in the shoulder. The spectral fire extinguished at that spot, leaving only a smoking bone. For a second, his control of the chains grew weak.

That was the only opening Irelia needed. Glowing white for a brief time, Lito's weapon pierced the warden's defenses, cutting across his torso.

"The Summoner's won't be here to resurrect you!"

"No… But the Shadow Isles will!"

Before any of the Ionians could land the killing blow, Thresh's body became transparent. When Irelia's blade came back for a second attack, it cut only air.

"I will kill hi-"

"Irelia, the chains, quick!"

The spinning blade severed the chain holding the girl with ease now without Thresh's influence. Irelia caught her before she hit the ground.

Soraka threw a cloak on the grass. Irelia laid the girl down on it as gently as she could and kneeled next to her head. She wasn't sure what else she could do while Soraka tended to the her. A few minutes later the Starchild sat back with an irritated sigh and covered the girl with a blanket.

"Most of the wounds aren't serious. Added together, she's lucky to be alive."

"Can you heal her?"

"I've already done what I could. Most of her wounds were corrupted. I could remove the traces of the Shadow Isles, but my power can't heal the wounds themselves. She'll live, but will need rest and time. We can go back to the Placidium tomorrow. When she wakes up, be ready for anything. She was on the verge of insanity."

"About three days under Thresh's hands." The thought sent shivers down Irelia's spine.

* * *

Sooner than Soraka expected, the girl's eyes fluttered. A look of horror was on her face as she looked around, clearly expecting Thresh to show up any second. Relief washed over her as she understood that someone else was here. She gratefully smiled at Soraka who leaned over her.

"She seems… normal." Soraka didn't know what to make of that. Any normal person would have woken up screaming from less of the Warden's attention. Not that Riven was normal, she knew that.

* * *

Riven squinted as a shadow moved that blotted out the Sun. She looked the other way, trying to recognize the other form. A lithe body clad in red and silver armor. Silver-colored hair with a bluish hue fell over the woman's shoulders as she leaned over her, emerald eyes usually focused now filled with worry as she watched Riven's struggle to lift her head higher.

'No… Just not her!' She tried to form the words, but only sobs came up her throat. She tried to sit up, to get up and run. But she collapsed back on the ground before she could sit, with her face buried in Irelia's legs.

"I'm sorry…" was all she could force out of herself.

* * *

Baffled, Irelia lifted her hand. Carefully she put her palm on the top of the girl's head. Won't it hurt her wounds? With an affirmative nod from Soraka, she slowly caressed the hair of the girl.

"It's all right now. He's gone. He can't hurt you anymore. It's over." She didn't know how much time passed, but her voice soothed the crying woman.

"Who are you, child?" she asked softly. The girl just weakly shook her head buried in Irelia's legs.

'It must be the shock.'

Irelia looked around to find anything that could help her identify the specter's victim. No insignia was on the clothes of the girl, not that much remained of them.. A metallic bundle in a bush got her interest. Her blade flew there and cut back the leaves around it.

With disgust, the weapon pushed away chains twisted around what was seemingly a rune-inscribed longsword. As she realized what it was, a quiet gasp left her mouth and her hand stopped on the girl's white hair. It wasn't a longsword, but the shattered remains of something enormous.

As her mind tried to imagine the dimensions of the full sword, she looked at the green runes. Noxian work.

An impossibly huge Noxian runeblade in the hands of a girl. Thresh mutilated the corpses as to represent the victims of the chemical bombings. She could put two and two together.

"She's Riven." she said quietly. Soraka looked at her with a puzzled look.

"Of course she is. Haven't you seen her picture when she joined the League?"

"No." Irelia shook her head, voice suddenly hard as steel. "But this will raise some complications."

Riven just nodded while fresh cries shook her shoulders.


	5. 04 Decision

"Complications?" Soraka repeated with a frown as she started to prepare a cup and some powder.

"Yes." Irelia let out a deep sigh. Stiffly, she slid Riven's head from her lap and rose. The ex-Noxian looked up to Irelia's emerald eyes. "Riven, were you brought to Ionia by Thresh?"

"No. I was in the forest when he captured me."

"As a champion of the League, you were supposed to inform the Council before setting foot in Ionia." For a second, Irelia took her eyes off the girl, apparently in thought. "As a champion with no ties to any country at the moment, I'll presume that you are not a spy, but only for now. Soraka and I will stay with you until a Council decides your fate."

"Consider us.. bodyguards." Soraka hurried to soften the steely tone of Irelia, but the meaning was clear.

"I understand. I will stay with you." Irelia's glare couldn't be misunderstood. She was under arrest. Riven laid back on the cape, too tired to say anything else. Irelia turned away. She expected conflicts with the Ionians, but not in her wildest dreams had she thought about running into two of their champions during the first week.

She didn't particularly look forward to the execution.

"Now drink." Before she could say anything, Soraka held the cup to her lips. Bitter liquid streamed into her mouth. The effect of the tea hit her as soon as she gulped down the first mouthful. She was asleep before her head hit the ground.

* * *

"Poor girl." Soraka muttered as she looked over the bruised Noxian. A blanket covered her in seconds.

"I can hardly stop my heart from breaking." The nigh-contained malice in Irelia's voice made Soraka shudder. She looked up at the warrior.

"You have a personal reason to hate her." She didn't bother to phrase it as a question.

Irelia let out a loud snort.

"Soraka, she is THE Riven whose company killed thousands of innocents during the war, no doubt personal friends and family of almost everyone from Southern Ionia." she said through gritted teeth. Her blades nervously darted around, showing her inner turmoil clearer than any body language. "She is here now without any authorization. A murderer. For all we know, she could be a spy for Noxus!" Even to her ears the words sounded fake. She came to peace about the victims of the war, just as most of Ionia.

"It is about Zelos, isn't it?" Soraka asked quietly.

Irelia trembled. Some wounds disappeared by the help of the healers or the time that passed since the Invasion. The loss of her brother wasn't one of those. She bit her lip, but she couldn't hold back the outburst.

"Of course it is!" she cried out. "Zelos left to Demacia only because we knew about the Zaunite Melters! If Noxus didn't use them, Zelos would still be here! If the Noxians had a shred of decency, I would still have my brother!"

Silence fell upon the forest. The only audible sound was the breathing of Irelia.

"I- I lost control. It won't happen again." Irelia looked away embarrassed, a slight blush on her face.

"You haven't spoken about it with anyone, have you?" Soraka asked with a frown. She knew the Captain of the Guard enough to not need an answer. Irelia was a stubborn and proud girl who always solved her problems alone. "No one will think less of you if you ask someone to listen to you. The memories will keep haunting you."

"I'm fine. It is my burden, not anyone else's." Irelia said flatly. She crossed her arms over her chest, indicating that the talk was over. Defeated, Soraka spread her arms before she turned back to the sleeping Noxian.

Irelia had this discussion with many of her friends. She knew they only wanted to help her, but they couldn't understand the difference between losing someone and Zelos missing. It was unreasonable, but a tiny glimmer of hope still kept her feelings raw where she could've come to terms with his death.

"I'll set up the camp. Wake me up if you want to sleep."

"Don't be too hard on her. She doesn't seem the same as the commander in the Invasion."

Irelia's gaze hardened, sending a shiver down Soraka's spine.

"Noxians never change, Soraka. But don't worry, I will be civil with her."

* * *

The first thing Riven noticed instead of the pain she knew she was supposed to feel was the itchiness all over her body, which she was long since familiar with. She had been healed with the help of magic. She experimentally flexed a muscle in her arm before trying to do anything more complicated.

Her eyes snapped wide as her whole body spasmed from the movement.

It was early in the morning, most of the sky colored dull gray or a faint orange from the sunrise. The last stars still shone dimly. Riven looked around. Irelia was nowhere in sight, while Soraka knelt a few steps away on the grass, hands over her head, palms turned towards the brightest star. A serene look was on her face when she turned to Riven.

"Good morning." she smiled as she got up. She wore different clothes than yesterday. At least Riven thought she had been sleeping only for a single night. The Starchild wore a sleeveless white tunic not unlike the one she had in the League. However, it seemed more ceremonial. Wide golden buckles and straps kept the cloth in place across her belt and shoulders. "Don't try to move for a few seconds yet. Magic is working in you."

"Can I speak?"

"As long as you don't gesticulate too wildly."

"Where is Captain Lito?"

Involuntarily, Soraka shot an annoyed glance to her right.

"Irelia set up camp just over those bushes. She didn't want to disturb my prayer, at least that was the excuse. She seems to hold a personal grudge against you."

Soraka apparently waited for a response.

"Admittedly, every Ionian has a reason to hate me."

"But hate should never be a leading emotion in any circumstance. Irelia is forgetting that." Soraka spoke slowly, choosing her words deliberately. "Try to lift your arm."

Riven complied. The spasm from before didn't return, and now she noticed the deep red scars that ran over her body instead of the open wounds.

"Thank you."

"I could only clean your wounds and pray to the stars to heal you. I did almost nothing. Let's get you bandaged up and some clothes. Luckily you are about Irelia's size." Soraka got on her feet as well and started to sort through the packhorse's bags. "Your wounds should have closed enough."

Riven assisted the Starchild as much as she could. Her body was still stiff despite Soraka's spells, so her assistance was mostly token. However, the Starchild was adept at first aid, and soon Riven's body was covered in layers of bandage.

Riven uncomfortably rotated her shoulders. The Ionian garment, closely resembling what Irelia wore, wasn't a perfect fit, but her own clothes were beyond repair. The bright silver outfit of Irelia was decorated by crimson motifs at the joints. It was too tight in the shoulders and waist, restricting Riven's movement and scraping on bruises. She missed the weight of the armour plates from her shoulder. But that didn't irritate her that much.

What made her truly self-conscious were the emerald twin dragons sewn on the back. It was only colored thread, but the claws of the dragons felt as if they tore skin each time she took a step. So far her clothes were void of any show of allegiance, one she wasn't ready to make. She took up her sword from the ground.

"I see you are ready to travel."

Riven tensed up as she heard Irelia's cold voice from behind. She turned tersely. For the first time since her rescue, she stood on her feet, comparing herself to the Ionian champion. Soraka's tall and lithe, not human form made any comparison meaningless.

Riven easily was half a head taller than Irelia. Short, ragged white hair danced and swirled around her head. Dark brown eyes darted around, constantly searching for dangers. Her bulkier form should have dwarfed the Ionian, but the past few days took a toll on her stature.

Irelia, with her small stature was looking up at the Noxian with emerald eyes, measuring up the champion. In contrast to her, straight black hair with the tiniest hue of blue framed her face, falling down to her upper back. The confidence radiating from her made her appear taller than she was.

"Captain Lito." Riven shifted uncomfortably, looking at the approaching woman.

"Field Commander Riven." An angry blush appeared on the Noxian's face.

"Not anymore. I'm only Riven."

"Very well, Riven." she nodded, voice matter-of-fact. "Your equipment is packed as well. Right now, the choice is yours about our destination. Either we go to the south, you take the first ship and leave Ionia, or we set off to the Placidium. I highly suggest you take the first option."

Riven was taken aback by the blunt words. From her experience, it was nigh impossible to get a straight answer from Ionians who dealt with foreigners. The answer itself was clear.

"I planned to go to the Placidium in a few weeks. I'd like to go there now."

"As you wish."

As the Ionians packed up, Riven stood near them, clutching her runeblade.

"I haven't had the chance to say it before. Thank you for rescuing me."

"Don't mention it, we did our work. I'm sorry we didn't arrive earlier." Irelia saddled her horse, and threw Riven a crystal. "This is quite the same as the one used by the Institute, with an outpost near the Placidium set as the focus. I trust you know how it works."

Riven used teleport crystals before. They were one-way, one-charge items which could transfer people from anywhere to a pre-determined position.

"I suppose I'll go second?"

"Correct." nodded Irelia. Briefly she was enveloped in a bright light. With a flash, she disappeared from the forest.

"Riven sheathed her sword, well away from her hands before activating the crystal. The compressing feeling lasted only for a second before her surroundings changed. She was on the mountain which the Placidium was named after. A breathtaking view was before her eyes.

The city was built half on the mountain and half on the fields encircling it, following ancient and new building trends of Ionia. The waterfalls springing from the hill split the city in many areas, the effect accentuated by careful planning. One could tell their location based only on the different building style of the districts. The city itself was almost entirely green and brown: the buildings were painted to fade into the trees of many hues planted near the roads.

"Move a few steps forward." a male voice called to Riven. Guards in uniforms stood around them, armed with crossbows trained on the spot where the Noxian appeared. The teleporter's exit was well-guarded as any entrances to a city. As she walked forward, the guards kept their weapons on the spot where she appeared. She soon realized the reason behind it. As she looked around, the gaze of a tall man caught her attention. The hatred radiating from his eyes made her reach for her sword. She remembered the shining, purple eyes framed with silver hair mirroring her own.

"Don't think about it." A voice not entirely from this world stopped her hand in the air. Riven forced herself to relax her stance.

The man didn't seem to drop his guard. In his right hand he held a longbow. The dark weapon swirled as liquid, just like the armor around his limbs. His body was tense as a spring, ready to shoot at the first sight of movement from the girl's part.

"She is in the middle of the Placidium, surrounded by almost every champion of Ionia. That should be more intimidating than you." Irelia smirked. She was waiting a step away from the Noxian, looking at Varus.

The bow reluctantly surged back into his arm as Varus let his hand down. Soraka appeared behind them with a flash of light.

"How could you bring her here?" Anger seethed in his voice as the archer measured up Riven with a gaze that made her want to take a step back.

"Riven came here on her own volition. Varus, she didn't do anything."

"So we forget the Invasion because she wants to come here? You know how many-"

"Enough!" snapped Irelia, her joking tone gone in a moment's notice. She became the officer charged with the defense of the city. She took a step forward, putting herself between Riven and the archer. "I know exactly what happened two years ago. But the past is no reason to lose our traditions. You are invited to the Council where we decide what happens to her aftershe presents her case, not before."

Varus opened his mouth to argue, but looking at Irelia's face was enough to change his mind.

"Yes, Captain."

Irelia turned to Riven.

"Soraka will show you a place where you can wait while the champions assemble."

The Starchild gestured for Riven to follow her. In a few minutes they arrived to one of the Placidium's famed gardens.

"Make yourself comfortable. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't be in the Council." Hesitantly, she patted the arm of the Noxian with her hand. "And good luck."

* * *

The minutes passed slowly as she waited alone in the garden. The breeze rustled the leaves around her. She had a view of the city through the verdant trees. Serenity came over her as she breathed in the peace that seemed to permeate everything in the island. She looked down on the city bustling with people.

'I'm glad Noxus lost the battle here.' the thought would have been equal to treason a few years ago, but now it came easily to her mind. She idly wondered about the changes in her. The ruthless zeal that once fueled her was gone without a trace, and only a longing filled its place. To have something to live for instead of running from the past, to find something to fill the void that Noxus left. She brushed off the thoughts. It didn't matter anymore. Varus would soon have his vengeance and she would be rid of her past. She was prepared.

"Riven?" Irelia's voice called to her. She turned her head. The Captain of the guard was waiting for her next to the gate along with Soraka.

"I'm ready." She came to her feet in a fluid motion, and walked to the waiting champions. They went through corridors carved in the mountain. As in the city, the sense of human touch was minimal.

"You will be questioned about your reason of coming here."

"And you'd like to know the reason why before I answer the Council?" She sighed in response to Irelia's nod.

"I wanted to atone for what I've done to Ionia in some way. My deeds have been haunting me since the Invasion." With a sad smile, Riven looked up at the passing clouds before the roof hid them from her sight. "I hope my execution will be enough for Ionia."

"Execution?" Both Ionians looked genuinely shocked.

"Of course. Why else would I come here but to be punished for my crimes?"

"Riven, you thought-" Irelia tried to overcome her confusion. "Your death would not bring the victims back to life and we don't waste lives so willingly, even if it's justified. Right now, that's not the case; you are an exile from Noxus. You made it clear in the League you don't want to have anything to do with your nation. We are willing to presume your innocence in your coming here. The worst thing that can happen to you is that you will be declared an unwelcome person and removed from Ionia. You have the status of an ambassador of the League, don't forget it."

Now it was Riven's turn to be shocked.

"That-"

'That is the most insane method of dealing with a possible enemy' was what she wanted to say.

"- is very noble of you." she said cautiously. The idea of holding a trial for an enemy was utterly alien to her. Why would they give a chance for enemies to get away? She found the banishment a fate worse than death. She was ready to atone, but how could she if she was exiled from Ionia?

"We are here." Soraka stopped, and sent a smile at the two girls before departing. "Good luck again."

* * *

Riven stood in a shallow depression in the middle of the room. The stone cavern was void of any furniture, only several stone steps were carved in the floor around her. On each a champion stood, facing her in a semicircle. Each of the champions - or judges - towered over her as it was intended by the builders of the room.

The Arrow of Retribution stood on the far left. Varus' fingers fidgeted with the motions of notching an arrow. The hostility radiating from him felt akin to tides of fire washing over her.

On the far right, Karma inspected her. Dressed in her full regalia, she was the embodiment of the Ionian spirit; calm as the springs of the city. But Riven remembered the reports of the company tasked to 'pacify' Inari, her village: the spring could spawn a tide.

Udyr's usual fierceness was absent. A knowing expression on his face, his eyes, never blinking, was set on the girl's face. A reassuring smile appeared on his face when Riven looked at him, confusing her to no end. She knew that Udyr had been staying in Ionia during the War, but not much else; he was among the fiercest defenders, tearing Noxian armies to shreds.

Lee Sin was motionless, his expression carefully kept neutral. The tall, lean champion radiated the same air as Karma.

Irelia stood in front of her. Head slightly cocked, the Captain of the Guard's face was rigid. The Mantle of Decorum hovering above her was partially obstructed by her shoulders, and once more, Riven keenly felt the twin dragons crawling on her own back.

"Riven." Irelia's voice echoed in the cavern, reaching the Noxian from every direction. "The Council gathered to pass sentence upon you. We will decide whether you are welcome or banished."

"I understand."

"Why did you come to Ionia?" Karma asked the first question.

"To atone for my actions during the Invasion, in any way you see fit."

"Hm. 'Your actions'. 'Murder' and 'genocide' never had a lighter name." The voice of Varus was dripping with honey, but Riven shrugged off the sarcasm the best as she could.

"I never denied my role in the war. Yes, I was tasked to destroy everything the main army left behind. I did what I considered best for Noxus." Riven stopped for a second, searching for words. "I don't look for excuses. Noxus had the right to wage war on Ionia, I believed. But I can't agree to the way the war was conducted, and I want to redeem myself if you let me."

Lee sadly shook his head.

"Nothing you will do changes the fact that you murdered hundreds. You will live with that weight until you die."

"That is true." Riven admitted quietly. "But I can't shy away from the consequences."

"You can't or you won't?"

"Is there a difference?"

"More than you can imagine. Are you acting out of selflessness, disregarding your own interests or your eagerness to serve Ionia only converges with your own goals?"

"I have my own goals." Riven said, still trying to figure out what kind of answers they wanted from her.

"Why do you keep going, Riven? What do you desire after coming to peace with yourself?"

"A pure Noxus." she said without hesitation.

"Explain that."

"Noxus has lost its vision. 'Forever strong'. The strong shall survive, decide the fate of the weak and shape the future, no matter their place of birth, sex or background." Riven took a deep breath, remembering the pride she felt years ago. She looked at the champions, but she couldn't read anything from their expressions. "By mindless killing, Noxus goes against its core."

"How would your atonement help your goal?"

"It's.. complicated." Riven looked away from Karma. She wasn't used to talking about her feelings.

"So Ionia is just a tool for you." A dangerous glint appeared in Varus' eyes.

"It is a selfish request! Is that what you want to hear?" she snapped. "I've tried to forget and explain to myself what I've done, but I couldn't! If serving Ionia can help me to reconcile with myself, then so be it!"

Riven clamped her hand on her mouth as she realized what she just said. Little did she notice the minute smiles of Udyr and Karma.

"Ah, finally we are heading somewhere." chuckled Lee Sin, undisturbed by Riven's show of emotion. "Let this be a lesson. It is wise to understand yourself."

"I- I didn't mean it-"

"Yes, you did. Those were the first honest words you uttered since you came through that door." Udyr interrupted. "You feel the guilt as a beast within, devouring you. The world lost its meaning, and the only reason to wake up each day is to run from yourself. Every moment is a chore, isn't it?" The Spirit Walker's voice was void of any mockery.

Riven desperately wanted to say the simple words; You are wrong! But Udyr's words resonated in her, bringing up feelings she thought long resolved and forgotten.

"I know what you are going through, more than you think."

"There's just one matter left to discuss." Lee Sin said. "If we give you the opportunity to redeem yourself, you must serve to the best of your abilities. Can you accept that?"

"I swear by my honor."

"As if Noxian honor ever meant anything." In disgust, Varus spat on the ground. Everyone saw Riven's reddening cheeks.

Blood thundered in her ears and a red mist washed over her. Varus' words were as his arrows, always hitting their marks. Honor was one of the few pieces left unscathed in her life. In Noxus, there was only one way to pay for this insult: in blood.

'I'm not in Noxus.' she reminded herself. She closed her eyes, unclenched her shaking fists. When murder wasn't her only thought, she looked back at Varus' rage-distorted face.

"I know first-hand that saying 'I'm sorry' doesn't mean anything in the face of grief. All I ask is for a chance to prove that I mean it."

Before Varus could respond, Karma held up her hand.

"Varus, you will have your chance to speak your mind, but right now it isn't the time." She looked back at the Noxian. "We will leave to discuss your answers."

Riven nodded, barely hearing Karma's words. She was searching for answers to questions not voiced before. The self-examination required by the Ionians made her even more unsure about herself. Was she really that desperate?

'It isn't desperation. I'm weak.' a cruel voice gleefully whispered in her head. 'For years, I could carry this burden. And now it breaks me down.' She couldn't shake the feeling that the voice was right.

* * *

"To sum it up: she wants to serve Ionia only by chance, and only until she's satisfied with herself. Do we need to talk about anything at all?"

"You won't be swayed from an opinion, will you, Varus?" Udyr growled.

"I don't see any reason to be. She needs to die."

Talking sense to Varus was impossible, Karma knew that.

"You should let go, Varus. Vengeance is never good to hold on to."

"I will come to peace when I see Noxus burning."

"We all know the weight of the Invasion. None of us are unscathed by it. But we look forward, not dwell on the past."

The gem in Irelia's blade glimmered brightly in the air, a reminder of the price paid by her. Lee Sin looked at Varus through the bandage covering his eyes.

Varus clenched his fist. Couldn't they understand the dangers of accepting the Noxian into Ionia? Even she admitted that she is guilty of genocide. That alone should be enough to execute her in any other nation.

"We need to decide on the matter. Does Riven pose a threat to Ionia?" asked Karma. The champions quieted down. Lee Sin spoke first.

"The past remains, but she can strive to right it. I vouch for her."

"I abstain." Irelia shook her head.

"Death." Varus had nothing more to say.

"Everyone deserves a second chance." Karma's vote surprised nobody.

Udyr sighed. "I know the best what Ionia can do to a lost man or woman. Let her stay."

"All of you are insane." Varus growled. "Know this: I won't go out of my way to kill her, but she is dead as soon as she approaches me." Varus turned and stormed out of the chamber. Karma looked at Irelia.

"Varus will need time to accept the situation. As you saved Riven, she will be your responsibility."

"I can't waste time babysitting her. I need to organize the shore patrols." The Captain clearly looked uncomfortable with the idea of taking care of Riven.

"Take your time. I will take her to a shrine while you finish your tasks."

"I can accompany you." Udyr volunteered. "I have a few weeks before I have to go back to the Freljord."

"Thank you, Udyr." Karma bowed slightly at the Spirit Walker. "I'm sure Riven will find you a great mentor."

* * *

Irelia closed her eyes, enjoying the rich fragrance of the tea while a feeling of impending doom crept on her. The Council members had already departed, attending to their tasks. She sat with Karma in a small aisle, taking a few minutes off before Karma left.

"You will be responsible for her." Karma's words confirmed it. They would talk about Riven.

"Why me, Karma?" she opened her eyes, sipping from her drink.

"If she stays, you will be the one closest to her." She just sighed at Irelia's wince. "You have much in common, even if you don't want to acknowledge it. Both of you are soldiers who lost much in the Invasion. She, herself and her nation, you, your life and your brother. Lee Sin and Udyr aren't warriors in the sense you two are." Karma sat in silence for a moment before continuing. "Riven will need guidance to find answers. You can understand what she's going through."

"And who are we to leave a lost soul to her own?" muttered Irelia bitterly. Karma studied her with a concerned look.

"Irelia, you know you don't have to do it. As Captain of the Guard, you can declare her to be a threat, and banish her regardless of the vote, or you can give her an assignment away from the Placidium and be done with her.."

"You know that I would never use my privileges for my comfort or vengeance." Irelia said with a stern look. "The champions decided to give her the chance."

"Fair as always." laughed Karma, and set down the cup on the table, finally empty. "Udyr and I will accompany Riven to the shrine. You have more pressing matters here. Try and visit us soon. Your presence would be welcome."

"I will try to." Irelia meant it. No matter the outcome, Riven's decision had the chance to shape Ionia's future. For her nation, she had to do it.

* * *

Riven thought back to the decision of the Ionians as she rode to the shrine. She had time to reflect as Karma and Udyr were engaged in quiet conversation behind her.

"Riven, the Council has come to terms. The decision was almost unanimous. You will be accompanied by Karma and Udyr to the Shojin Monastery. There you will learn about the ways of Ionia. We don't want to 'convert' you, but if you want to atone, first you have to know what you need to atone for, and what your reason is for the atonement."

'That's it?' Riven looked at the Ionians, not understanding them. 'They want me to stay in a monastery instead of a prison?'

"It will be harder than you think. You are without purpose. It is a feeling not unknown to many of us." Udyr nodded at her words. "A blade, if you will, that can be wielded against and for Ionia as well. Explore yourself. Decide whether Ionia is something you can serve with the same conviction you fought against it, or if it'd be only penance for you."

Irelia's parting words still echoed in her ears.

"If it is only duty, the best you can do is leave and never return. Ionia appreciates your gesture, and holds no ill will against you regardless of your choice."


End file.
